Rebuilding Khartoum environmental lab to cost $500,000, official says

January 31, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s only environmental laboratory in Khartoum State has been put out of service during the conflict, with reconstruction costs estimated at $500,000, the facility’s director said on Saturday.

Om al-Khair Mukhtar Abdullah told Sudan Tribune the laboratory was targeted by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and suffered extensive damage, with equipment losses valued at no less than $412,000.

The facility, which tested soil, water, air pollution and radiation, was burned and looted, she said.

“We need at least $500,000 to bring the laboratory back into service,” Abdullah said, adding that the facility’s return is vital for addressing urgent environmental challenges facing the state.

Established by the Khartoum State government in 2010, the laboratory was the first specialized environmental facility of its kind in Sudan and served as a technical reference for various states and mining companies.

Before the conflict, it analyzed treated wastewater, monitored White Nile water quality and tested bottled water from local factories, Abdullah said.

She called on civil society and international agencies to assist with the rebuilding effort, noting that a government committee was working to restore essential environmental services in the conflict-affected region.